Tuhan Memelihara Kita

   Ketika mendengar kata penderitaan biasanya kita berpikir tentang sakit secara fisik. Tetapi, penderitaan psikis adalah sama nyatanya dan kadang-kadang lebih merusak. Itu mungkin berupa kesedihan atau kesusahan batin yang tidak dapat Anda ekspresikan, bahkan pada teman dekat maupun pasangan. Itu mungkin menyerap kekuatan anda dan membahayakan kondisi psikis anda. 

  Paulus tahu rasanya mengalami penderitaan psikis; ia memberi tahu jemaat Korintus bahwa ia menulis surat kepada mereka dengan “hati yang sangat cemas dan sesak” (2 Kor. 2:4). Saat Yesus berada di Taman Getsemani, “sangat ketakutan dan makin bersungguh-sungguh berdoa” (Luk. 22:4). Setelah menyangkal Tuhan tiga kali, Petrus, “pergi ke luar dan menangis dengan sedihnya” (Luk. 22:62)          
  Tetapi ketika saat-saat seperti itu datang, Allah tetap mengasihani kita. Ia tidak meninggalkan kita. Ingat: “Allah yang abadi adalah tempat perlindunganmu, dan dibawahmu ada lengan-lengan yang kekal” (Ul. 33:27)

Divine Plan

^"6 Now when they had gone through Phrygia and the region of Galatia, they were forbidden by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. ⁷ After they had come to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit^[a] did not permit them. ⁸ So passing by Mysia, they came down to Troas. ⁹ And a vision appeared to Paul in the night. A man of Macedonia stood and pleaded with him, saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” ¹⁰ Now after he had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go to Macedonia, concluding that the Lord had called us to preach the gospel to them"  (Acts 1: 6-10)


“Why do so many doors seem to be closing? I am trying to serve God, but nothing seems to be working out right.” Sometimes believers feel like they are getting nowhere in finding what God wants for their lives. At times such as these, it is good to know that someone in the Bible also experienced doors closing as part of God’s will.

    The Holy Spirit kept Paul and those who traveled with him from preaching in Asia and blocked their efforts to enter Bithynia. Paul wanted to preach in these areas, but the Holy Spirit had other plans. Later, Paul had a dream in the night of a man calling for him to come to Macedonia and help. Once it was clear to Paul which door the Holy Spirit wanted them to go through, they immediately went to preach the Gospel in Macedonia.

    God still opens and closes doors to guide His people into the directions He has in mind for them. Though He may or may not use a dream, He does speak to us through a variety of means. The most important thing we can do is keep our ears in tune to His direction and follow as He leads.
    Central Thought: God reveals His will to us through a variety of means.

Rahasia Keberhasilan dimulai dari Sebuah goresan dan terus Menggorres.

“Yang jatuh di tanah yang baik itu ialah orang-orang yang setelah mendengar Firman itu, menyimpannya dalam hati yang baik dan mengeluarkan buah dalam ketekunan”

- Lukas 8:15 -

Kerja keras bukan hal yang aneh bagi seekor ayam betina Tanpa mempedulikan ramalan pelaku bisnis harga telur… tanpa memperdulikan apa yang orang inginkan dari dirinya… tanpa mempedulikan fluktuasi pasar komoditas… ayam betina tetap mencari cacing dan bertelur. Jika tanahnya keras, dia menggali lebih keras.

Jika tanahnya kering, dia menggali lebih dalam.

Jika tanahnya basah, dia menggali lebih dalam.

Jika tanahnya batu, dia menggali sekitarnya.

Jika masih ada beberapa jam panas matahari, dia menggali lebih lama.

Pernahkah anda melihat ayam betina yang pesimis?

Pernahkah anda melihat ayam betina berkotek kesal karena masa depan pekerjaannya?

Pernahkah anda melihat ayam betina berkotek karena pekerjaannya sulit, kondisinya sulit dan beberapa telurnya bahkan dibawa pergi sebelum sempat dierami?

Tidak.

Ayam betina menyimpan energinya untuk menggali. Ayam betina menyimpan kotekannya untuk telur yang dihasilkan.

Rahasia keberhasilan dimulai dari sebuah goresan dan terus menggorres. 

The Importance of Holy Spirit

   Jesus, referring to The Holy Spirit, told the disciples just before ascending to heaven, the following "And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me." (Acts 1:8 KJV) "But ye shall receive power, after that The Holy Spirit is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth” (Acts 1:8). The Promise of The father is The Holy Spirit. 

Why we need The Holy Spirit presense in our lives:

1. He will lead us to all the Truth.

He will reveal the Truth, Christ Jesus, to us. "Howbeit when He, the Spirit of truth, is come, He will guide you into all truth: for He shall not speak of Himself; but whatsoever He shall hear, that shall He speak: and He will shew you things to come." (John 16:13)

2. He will help us please God.

The Holy Spirit in 2 Corinthians 4:13 is refered to as "The Spirit of Faith". Remember, without faith, its impossible to please God. He will help us to please God. He will show you and guide you into paths of holiness, paths of righteousness, all that are pleasing to God.

3. He will reveal to us things to come.

The Bible is 2 Peter 1:21, speaking of the Holy Spirit says "For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost" When He comes in our lives, He will give us gifts like prophesy. Paul in Corinthians admonishes to desire this gift. He says "Follow after charity, and desire spiritual gifts, but rather that ye may prophesy" (I Corinthians 14:1)

4. He will bring true fulfillment in Life.

When He comes into our lives, we experience true fulfillment. This is because His fruit becomes manifest. What is the fruit of The Holy Spirit "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law".(Galatians 5:22-23) Recall also that, The Joy of The Lord is our strength. We are not only fulfilled but also strengthened.

Hati Nurani yang Bersih

       Masing-masing kita memiliki hati nurani yang berfungsi sebagai penilai dari setiap pikiran, kata-kata dan perbuatan kita. Hati nurani dapat menjadi peka, tidak berkembang, tergantung apakah kita menggunakannya dengan benar atau salah.  

   Hati nurani manusia dicemari oleh dosa, demikian kata Alkitab, dan itulah sebabnya hati nurani tidak dapat dipercaya untuk menuntun dirinya sendiri. Hati nurani kita perlu dibersihkan oleh karya penyucian Roh Kudus, dipertajam, serta dibentuk oleh kebenaran firman Allah. Iblis bahkan dapat membengkokkan hati nurani kita jika kita tidak menyerahkannya pada Kristus serta meyakinkan kita bahwa yang salah adalah sungguh-sungguh benar. 

   Walaupun memiliki brbagai kelemahan, hati nurani kita tetap penting, dan Allah masih menggunakannya untuk memperingatkan kita akan bahaya. Kita semua pernah mengalami ketidaknyamanan dan rasa bersalah setelah melakukan sebuah pelanggaran. 

     Apakah Allah sedang berbicara kepada Anda mengenai sesuatu yang tidak benar dalam hidup Anda? Jangan mengabaikan suara itu atau menganggapnya tidak masalah. Hadapilah, akuilah, buanglah, dan jangan pernah menyentuhnya lagi. 

We Got the Victory!

  "O death, where is thy sting? .."

–1 Corinthians 15:55

Death is the most democratic experience in life for we all participate in it. We think of its happening only to other people. We don’t like to grow old and we don’t like to die. The Bible teaches that death is an enemy of man and God. But it also teaches that this enemy, death, will ultimately be destroyed forever; that in fact it has already been defeated at the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Death, for a Christian, brings permanent freedom from evil. It also means the believer will be like Jesus. We shall be like Christ in love. So much of self is involved in what we do here; but one day, in Christ, we will have perfect love. What a glorious time it will be when we get to heaven!

Memakai Apa Yang Telah Allah Berikan Kepada Anda

Karunia apapun yang telah diberikan kepada Anda bisa 

diperluas dan dikembangkan melalui latihan.

 Jangan puas dengan karunia yang berkembang separuh.

 Kembangkan diri Anda sendiri dan belajarlah segala yang Anda bisa. 

“Hendaklah engkau berusaha sungguh-sungguh supaya diakui oleh Allah sebagai orang yang layak bekerja bagi-Nya. Berusahalah supaya engkau tidak malas mengenai pekerjaanmu”

 ( 2 Timotius 2:15). Manfaatkanlah setiap kesempatan pelatihan untuk 

mengembangkan shape Anda dan pertajamlah keterampilan-keterampilan pelayanan Anda. 

The Power of God's Love

"The Lord is not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance"

-2 Peter 3:9 

   In some circumstances our emotions can be enormously helpful when it comes to understanding and abiding in God's will. We should embrace they ways in which emotions can serve to ignite a desire to obey God. That is not to say that we should wait to be obedient until our emotions drive us, but rather, that emotions can be a powerful driving force and offer a constant reminder of what we need to do.

  If we are going to be effective in delivering the message of salvation to the lost, we should first try to come to an emotional understanding of just how much Jesus loves them and desires that they should not perish. Realize that the love we feel for our own children cannot compare with that which God feels for each and every child of His, whether they call Him Father or not. Contemplate a love which is so intense that you feel as though your heart will burst, and understand that God has more love than this for even those who have turned their backs on Him and cursed His Holy name. 

   We might preach the Gospel, witness to friends, support our congregation's missionaries and even take a mission trip of our own if only to remain obedient to God. In our desire to please the Lord, we may be quite effective. God may choose to use us as His instrument to win many souls for His Kingdom. But how much more effective could we be if our hearts, as well of our minds, were completely invested in the work? What if we were motivated, not just by a desire for obedience, but by a deep desire to save the lost? Fear is a wonderful motivator, but love is the greatest of all. 

  When God reveals just a fraction of that deep love, you will never again see unbelievers the same way. When you see the lost as He sees them, you will not be able to stand the thought of losing a single one. Then will you fully appreciate what God is asking each of us to do, and never again will you miss an opportunity to be used in the service of saving the souls of God's precious children.

Smooth Seas Do Not Make Skillful Sailors

Luke 21:25 

"And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth; for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh."

The greatness comes not when things 

go always good for you.

 But the greatness comes when you're really tested, 

when you take some knocks, some disappointments, 

when sadness comes. 

Because only if you've been in the deepest valley

 can you ever know how magnificent it is to be 

on the highest mountain.